St Francis said if he were to meet at one time an angel and a priest, he would first salute the priest.
The following is a short and easily read excerpt from a book by St Alphonsus Liguori regarding the dignity of the Priesthood and is included here for the information and education of souls. May it deepen the reverence of those who already have a love for the Priesthood - and may it create new reverence and respect in the hearts of those who have not known this information thus far.
If there is a person reading this, who has done the unfortunate deed of blackening the good reputation of a priest, be it known that it is for your benefit that this has been included here - that your eyes may be opened to see what it is you have done and who exactly it is that you have done it to - so that you who have sat in darkness and in the shadow of death may be enlightened and your feet may be directed into the way of peace (Luke 1:79).
When you wound a priest by taking from him the only thing he can truly call his own - his good reputation - you very likely make a martyr of him. His agonies, accepted with charity and resignation, drift upwards and he attracts the tender sympathies of his heavenly Mother, who is reminded of the swords that pierced her heart and the tears she shed when her Son suffered on the earth. She receives the pains of her son the priest, consoles him as only she can and mystically changes his suffering into graces to be poured back down to the earth for the salvation of souls - perhaps your own.
Since the dignity of the priest surpasses all other created dignities and since he offers for you never ending prayers, may you see fit to pray for him in return, and leave him and all his doings to God alone. And while there's time, may you avail yourself of the compassion of God in this era of His unfathomable Mercy. Written by the Saints, the following is for your benefit. Proceed with caution, however, for once you have read it, you will be fully responsible as you will know the Truth and will no longer be able to use ignorance as an excuse!
The Dignities and Duties of the Priest
The Dignity of the Priesthood
I
Idea of the Priestly Dignity
IN his epistle to the Christians of Smyrna, St. Ignatius, Martyr, says that the priesthood is the most sublime of all created dignities: "The apex of dignities is the priesthood." St. Ephrem calls it an infinite dignity: "The priesthood is an astounding miracle, great, immense, and infinite." St. John Chrysostom says, that though its functions are performed on earth, the priesthood should be numbered among the things of Heaven." According to Cassian, the priest of God is exalted above all earthly sovereignties, and above all celestial heights----- he is inferior only to God. Innocent III says that the priest is placed between God and man; inferior to God, but superior to man. St. Denis calls the priest a Divine man. Hence he has called the priesthood a Divine dignity. In fine, St. Ephrem says that the gift of the sacerdotal dignity surpasses allunderstanding. For us it is enough to know, that Jesus Christ has said that we should treat his priests as we would his own person: "He that heareth you, heareth Me; he that despiseth you, despiseth Me." Hence St. John Chrysostom says, that "he who honors a priest, honors Christ, and he who insults a priest, insults Christ." Through respect for the sacerdotal dignity, St. Mary of Oignies used to kiss the ground on which a priest had walked.
